Sheath Cleaning - Important factors of sheath cleaning every gelding or stallion owner should know. Step-by-step instructions on how to clean your horse's sheath. Read More...pop (Added: 2-Dec-2000 Hits: 7431 Rating: 9.50 Votes: 78) Rate It
The Sheath - The sheath is a large fold of skin that encases and protects the horse's penis. It is
composed of skin and many glands that secrete a waxy substance called smegma.
These secretory glands are also concentrated in a pouch that lies next to the urinary
opening of the penis.
The inner sheath is a warm, moist environment of folded skin. Any irritating substances
left in this area will cause inflammation and swelling that can be seen externally. Read More...pop (Added: 4-Jul-2000 Hits: 6571 Rating: 9.21 Votes: 29) Rate It
Biting Flies & Insect Hypersensitivity - Many types of biting flies can cause skin problems in the horse. They include
mosquitoes, gnats, biting midges, sand flies, "no see ums," black flies, horse flies, deer
flies, stable flies, and horn flies. There are several ways these flies can cause damage.
In some cases the bite itself is the problem. The larger flies can cause an irritating and
painful wheal or nodule. Also, many of these flies transmit various viral, bacterial, and
fungal diseases. In this case, the horse isn't bothered by the bite. Rather, they develop a
problem because of the virus, bacteria, or fungus which has been transmitted via the fly
bite. Lastly, the horse can develop a hypersensitivity to the salivary antigens or the
injected toxins of the fly. The most common culprit in insect hypersensitivity is Culicoides
(gnats, biting midges, sand flies, "no see ums"). Read More... (Added: 2-Jul-2000 Hits: 1462 Rating: 8.23 Votes: 9) Rate It
Getting Ready for Spring and Summer Riding - Spring is once again upon us and I am so excited about saddling up my horses and
getting out into the beautiful weather. As you prepare to get your horse ready for the
upcoming spring and summer seasons, take a quick look at our Spring Checklist. We
have compiled a list that discusses several important steps to take in order to ensure
your equine companion is safe and healthy during the upcoming spring and summer
months. Read More... (Added: 1-Jul-2000 Hits: 1108 Rating: 9.17 Votes: 6) Rate It
How to Safely Check Your Horse's Mouth - Equine Dentist Spencer La Flure demonstrates how to safely check your horse's teeth and mouth, which you should do two or three times a year for most horses. Read More... (Added: 13-Oct-2002 Hits: 926 Rating: 6.00 Votes: 2) Rate It
Intramuscular Injections - An excerpt from the book, "Veterinary Manual for the Performance Horse" by Nancy S. Loving, DVM. Most of the time a horse suffers no ill consequences from an intramuscular (IM) injection given by a knowledgeable person, however, there are risks and adverse side effects that should be considered. It important to understand how to give intramuscular injections and what adverse reactions to watch for. Read More... (Added: 15-Jan-2001 Hits: 1750 Rating: 8.82 Votes: 11) Rate It
Liniment Usage - When and how to use liniment. - Liniments and braces fall under that all-encompassing category of unscientific horsemen's
terms that can mean different things depending on how and where you were raised.
Liniments are solutions that are applied to the skin, usually in areas that are sore or
swollen. Common sites of application are the ankles and tendons. Some people use
liniments as a preventive against swelling and soreness—for instance, after a hard
workout. The goal is to stimulate circulation and thereby to decrease inflammation and
swelling. Increasing circulation or blood flow helps remove the cells that cause
inflammation and the fluid that causes swelling. Read More... (Added: 20-Jul-2000 Hits: 968 Rating: 9.00 Votes: 5) Rate It
PRE-PURCHASE EXAMINATIONS - Our vet turned eventing trainer, Nick Roe looks at one of the
prime causes of anxiety, paranoia and heart-break - Read More... (Added: 29-Dec-2000 Hits: 1287 Rating: 8.80 Votes: 5) Rate It
Preparing for the Coming Winter - As the daylight hours get shorter and the air feels brisker, it's the time of year to think
about preparations for the coming winter. Some questions you may consider about your
horse and the environment he lives in are: Has he had a physical exam in the last SIX
months? Is he adequately vaccinated? Has he been dewormed recently? Which product
has been used? What is his general body condition? Is his hair sleek and shiny yet, and
how much fat is present over his back, ribs, hips, and behind his shoulders? Is he
chewing well? Has his mouth been properly evaluated, does he need dental work? Read More... (Added: 2-Jul-2000 Hits: 859 Rating: 8.80 Votes: 5) Rate It
Summer Sores (Habronemiasis) - Habronema is the equine stomach worm. The adult worms live in the nodular lesions of the stomach wall of the horse and produce larvae that are passed in the manure. Larvae of the house fly, face fly, and stable fly ingest the stomach worm larvae. When the fly pupates (matures) the stomach worm larvae mature to their infective stage and the fly while feeding deposits the infective stomach worm larvae around the horse's mouth, the larvae are swallowed and the life cycle is complete. The infective larvae are also deposited in skin wounds and moist places such as the eye, sheath, and penis as the fly is feeding. In horses that are susceptible, indicating a hypersensitivity or immunodeficiency, because pasture mates will remain unaffected, an itchy ulcerated sore or marked mucopurulent discharge from the eye results. Read More... (Added: 7-Oct-2001 Hits: 1786 Rating: 5.33 Votes: 3) Rate It
Tail Rubbing - Find out what causes tail rubbing and how you can stop it. There are many reasons why a horse will rub its tail, including internal parasites, insects,
infections, allergies and even dry skin. Fortunately, there are things you can do to help
with all of these problems. Read More... (Added: 20-Jul-2000 Hits: 1663 Rating: 7.80 Votes: 5) Rate It
The Dangers of Ragwort - A review of world literature on the dangers of ragwort reproduced in full on the BHS South webpage http://members.aol.com/bhssouth/index.html Read More... (Added: 9-Nov-2000 Hits: 927 Rating: 7.67 Votes: 3) Rate It
The Importance of the Pre-Purchase Exam - A pre-purchase exam is a thorough physical exam of the horse you are intending to
purchase performed before you buy the horse. The exam is done to identify existing
problems and any potential for future problems and to interpret results of the
examination relevant to the horse's intended use. The pre-purchase exam is tailored to
the prospective horse and the activity the horse will be involved in. For example, the
pre-purchase exam done on a stallion intended for use as a breeding animal will differ
from the pre-purchase exam done on a gelding intended for use as a show jumper.
Though pre-purchase exams will differ in their focus, the American Association of
Equine Practitioners (AAEP) has outlined some points common to all pre-purchase
exams. Read More... (Added: 2-Jul-2000 Hits: 844 Rating: 10.00 Votes: 2) Rate It
This Old Horse - The needs of geriatric horses gradually change with time. Muscles and bones may not
be as resilient and resistant to pathologic conditions or trauma; digestion of food is not
as efficient, and the chewing process may be prolonged or altered; the immune system
may not respond as well to the common viruses and antigens- or it may respond too
well, sensitizing the body to common allergens. So what should we do with our old
friends? Read More... (Added: 1-Jul-2000 Hits: 1900 Rating: 8.80 Votes: 15) Rate It
Understanding the Stay Apparatus - An excerpt from the book, "Equine Conformation & Anatomy" published by Equine Research, Inc. Learning about the horse's anatomy is essential to optimal training and lameness prevention. The stay apparatus is a system of muscles, tendons, and ligaments in the horse's leg. It works together with the suspensory apparatus to allow the horse to "lock" its lower leg joints with no muscular effort. This mechanism makes it possible for the horse to sleep while standing. Read More... (Added: 15-Jan-2001 Hits: 1209 Rating: 9.00 Votes: 5) Rate It
Veterinary Care for Miniature Horses - Providing veterinary care for miniature horses is an exciting and challenging addition to
equine medicine. Two health issues that are of great importance to miniature horse
owners are dental care and reproductive care. Dental pathology is very common in
miniature horses as are reproductive problems. In order to lessen any confusion about
these topics and give mini horse owners easy to follow guidelines, we have adapted an
excerpt from Dr. Katherine Burnett's Miniature Horse Care- A Veterinary Guide. Read More... (Added: 2-Jul-2000 Hits: 1027 Rating: 5.67 Votes: 3) Rate It
Veterinary Care for Ponies - Ponies often receive less medical care than standard-sized horses. Perhaps this is
because people perceive that they are hardier than larger horses, or because they are
of less monetary value. Ponies live an average of ten years longer than horses, and are
often outgrown by their young owners and left in the care of empty-nesters who may
know little about horse care. Ponies require regular veterinary care in order to enjoy
optimal health, and some of their medical needs are unique from those of other horses. I
will outline them here. Read More... (Added: 4-Jul-2000 Hits: 946 Rating: 10.00 Votes: 1) Rate It
